Hamza Usman G'09

I realized things needed to change. Karachi deserved a dependable pharmacy chain that would prioritize consumer health and counter the misconceptions fueling the counterfeit medicine industry. Inspired by my experiences in France, Pharmacie Plus was born. We began as a single brick-and-mortar pharmacy that emphasized consumer health and well-being, centering on transparent procurement, climate-controlled medicine storage and top-notch service. In order to do this, we followed appropriate cold-storage methods, tracking batch numbers and expiration dates, and communicated the importance of genuine medicines and proper storage methods to our consumers. To provide better service, we even had an in-house nurse with a custom-built consultation room to conduct diagnostic tests and provide vaccination services, which later evolved into a small clinic for medical practitioners.

Our goal was to start a dialogue with consumers about their health needs and educate them about the many problems in the Pakistani pharmaceutical industry. Our priority was not to focus solely on sales but to develop long-term relationships with loyal customers and brands. We were the first business to reach out to many local organic cottage industries in order to retail their products in areas like health and beauty, homeopathy or diet. We brought the issues of genuine medicines and medicine storage to the public and highlighted some of the corrupt practices prevalent in the industry, differentiating ourselves from our competitors by promoting health and well-being.

Today, our biggest challenge continues to be consumer behavior regarding discounts. Medicine prices have been artificially restricted by the government, meaning there have been no price increases in line with inflation since 2001. As most consumers are accustomed to purchasing medicines at stores that offer large discounts, a terrible “discount culture” has saturated the market; it is common to see recommended retail prices slashed by as much as 20%. At Pharmacie Plus, we only purchase medicines from licensed distributors, which means our margins are limited; other retailers purchase low-quality, fake, expired or repackaged medicines at a cheaper rate and turn those savings into “discounts” for consumers. The expectation of a discount is a challenge that plagues us daily, but it’s not possible to cut prices without compromising our business integrity. That’s simply not something we are willing to do.

Our strategy has therefore been to challenge these expectations as much as possible, creating a brand that reflects our legitimacy. We have invested in comfortable shops that are climate-controlled, thereby displaying our seriousness toward storing medicines appropriately in a clean environment. We ensure customers can browse an additional inventory of health and lifestyle goods, cosmetics and specialized items to increase the value of the in-store experience. By focusing on good customer service, we ensure brand loyalty and keep up with our lower-priced competitors. Though we have faced resistance, over time customers have begun to tell us how much they appreciate what we do; they often emphasize how the medication they’ve purchased from us is an improvement over what they were buying before. It is gratifying when friends and family commend me on our work or laud their latest shopping experiences in our stores. 

Competition has increased now that other pharmacy chains have entered the market. It is satisfying to see how much of their brand positioning is “borrowed” from ours (often verbatim). This is an immense source of pride for us as we were the ones to raise the issue of genuine medicines in a country where a lack of knowledge and information had led to unhealthy practices. Similarly, we were also able to bring the issue of medicine storage to the forefront in a city mired by heat and humidity – an aspect our competitors are starting to embrace more and more. 

Launching a company from scratch forced me to consider how I wanted my brand to be perceived by consumers – it enabled me to prioritize the values I wanted to represent and how I wanted customers to appreciate that ethos. The best advice I can give to other AUP students is not to be daunted when entering a new space; oftentimes, challenging market norms and daring to be different is enough of an edge to create consumer awareness. I am exceptionally thankful to my family, my friends and, ultimately, my team for pulling through these past years, which haven’t been easy, but have definitely been fulfilling.